Riding with chemo
 

Friday, February 8th, I'll get the first of four rounds of chemotherapy, to lower the odds of my lung cancer recurring. Anyone here had chemo since you've been riding? Were you able to ride much while getting it?

I had a friend that was on it for quit a while and every time he had to go for treatment, he was out of commission for a day or two. He did say it made him sick and a little weak. Good luck, they found my cancer soon enough and just had to cut it out, but no treatment after.

I've been wondering how the surgery and tests went, Bud. Great news that they got it all and that you've got treatment that will prevent it from returning. I've never had chemo, but I found a great book to help you get into the right frame of mind while you are undergoing chemo. It's called Peggy Huddleston's Relaxation/Healing CD. I'm rather an anxious person, but I sailed through surgery a couple years ago thanks to this CD. Great meditation and visualization exercises. And there is special visualization for going through cancer treatment. Some of the reviews on the Amazon.com link are from people who used this CD for chemo.

Sending good thoughts your way!

Here is what I learned from spending a year in the chemo room. First, listen to the nurses. They are full of practical knowledge about how to minimize the side effects. Second, listen to about 2/3 of what other chemo patients tell you, and not at all to well-intended bystanders.

I started riding while going through chemo the first time. I did three miles (the first three miles in many years), came home and laid down on the bed panting for the next 45 minutes. I later found my red blood count had crashed, and a few shots of EPO fixed me right up. EPO (Arinesp or Procrit) is magic juice. Don't just ask for it, demand it.

My worst crash ever was during chemo. I rode during the off week between treatments, and I crashed on a path, badly spraining my hip. On Wednesday I came in for treatment, on crutches, which the nurses thought was funny because they don't get a lot of chemo patients crashing their bikes. Anyway, after four hours in the chair, I get up, and my hip is much better. I went home and was able to walk without the crutches for two days. I learned the steroid they give to avoid nausea acted on the inflammation in the hip. More magic juice.

During chemo you feel like a toxic waste dump. Your skin smells, your urine smells, you either have diarrhea or are constipated. Your nose runs. Food taste bad. Your stomach is perpetually upset. You look haggard. Demand sleeping pills. Studies have shown no correlation between a good attitude and success in cancer treatment, so I adopted a "F*ck you" attitude, which was much easier to maintain than a more cheerful outlook. With most chemo you're supposed to stay out of the sun, so bundle up if you go riding. Take an iPod if you have to spend long times in the chair - whatever they gave me made my eyes goofy and I couldn't read in the chair.

Here's a joke to tell the other patients in the chemo room. My doctor examined me and shook his head and said, "sorry, there's nothing I can do for you." And I said, "Jeez, doc, nothing at all?" And he thought for a minute and said, "You should go down to the health spa and start taking mud baths." And I said, "Will that help the cancer? and he said "No, but it will get you used to dirt." Cancer patients think that is very funny.

Talked to a mate at work today that had Chemo last year. Not a cyclist now but used to be 30 years ago. Basically he said the same as Kerlenbach. It affected him in the same way----But- There was another he used to meet that never had any side effects of problems. He was a very fit 70 year old that swam every day and looked it. Perhaps the fitness you still have will assist in recovery.

I was not able to ride during 8 cycles of chemo in 1991, but, that was mainly because of the Hickman catheter in my chest. I would definitely take it easy the first couple of days after the treatment.

I began getting rituxan (monoclonal antibody) infusions 2 years ago. no problem at all with those treatments. I could ride to/from the dr office for those.

TruF,
Because my tumor was small, and the ct scan showed no hint of lymph node involvement, the doctors thought the cancer was stage I nsclc, and that surgery to remove the upper lobe of my lung would be the only treatment needed. They were wrong. Biopsies after surgery showed a single lymph node to be cancerous. That changes the diagnosis to stage II, and raises the risk of recurrence a lot. Adjuvant chemotherapy has been shown to lesson that risk, so I'm embarking on that.

Thanks for the link. I'll check that out. And I can use all the good thoughts I can get!

Thanks all, for the personal experiences.

Kerlenbach, everything I've read says you are right about the positive attitude. There seem to be just as many cases of cancer patients with a great attitude dying quickly as there are ones who give up completely, and live for many years anyway. But, I just don't think I can bring myself to tell that joke to a room full of cancer patients....

Even though a positive attitude doesn't seem to help much when it comes to cancer, I too, am thinking that a good fitness level just might.

I don't care what anyone says- The mention of Cancer will scare the Cr*p out of anyone. I was lucky in that surgery caught the Ca, but I remember how I felt before the Bypass. All I could think of get the cure and get back to normal. Prostate cancer did not hit the body- It hit the mind. Even after the OP- I had a problem in that I now had a Reason to be slow up the hills- had a reason to cut the milage- had a reason not to go out on that ride today. Then a year after the op- I set myself a challenge. Trained for it- And went for it- It was Kill or Cure as I nearly gave up biking. Did the ride and not stopped pedalling since.

So set the goal now for 12 to 18 months time. Don't care what it is but get yourself ready for it and get the mind working on it. Don't let the Bast*rd get you down. Doesn't sound as though it will- but make certain it doesn't.

Bud Bent

My prayers are with you! You've got friends here at 50+! How about documenting your progress here on this thread. I know many of us would like to walk this valley with you and offer what ever words of encouragement that we can.

Both of my sisters are survivors, my roommate is a survivor and I lost both my parents to cancer! I have Brain Lesions and have some understanding on how it has impacted my perspective on life.

Fred

Bud Bent:

Best of luck in your fight against cancer.

My wife had chemo for brest cancer 9 years ago and it wiped her out for 2-3 days afterwards. She was a very fit runner at the time. Your results may vary. Ask your oncologist what to expect.
I believe a positive mental attitude and esp humor is useful in the fight against this illness.:)

Gerry

From someone who has never been there, I have heard from those that should know...

Not all chemo is the same... There are different chemicals used and protocols followed. Some can be more debilitating than others, and even with the same chemicals and protocol, two patients may have different responses.

Best of luck in the process, and I hope you are able to spend good quality time on the road!

Never had chemo, (my only cancer personal experience is a basal cell skin cancer removed from my nose), but I have previously given chemo as a hospital nurse.
You will feel crappy, but then you will feel better. Hang in there.

I have no experience with chemo but wish you all the best.

I hope you post a report, too. Several of us will want to know how you are faring.

++++++ vibes to you.

I haven't dealt with Chemo either...though I have gone
on some "Roller Coaster" type health experiences with
both my wife and my daughter. Good news followed
by worrysome news, then more good, then more....
well I'm not telling you anything new. They fared well
and I pray you do also.

Hang tough, we're all here for you.

You'd be surprised. Cancer patients are an amazingly bunch, almost all of whom have looked or are looking death square in the eye, which does tend to focus the mind. You get a different perspective while sitting in the chemo chair. Death jokes, and doctor jokes, become truly hilarious.

You are completely correct that being in good physical shape will be a benefit. The first time I went through it, I was in poor shape and the surgery and chemo was very tough. I started biking after that because I read a study that showed a correlation between exercise and the non-recurrance of colon cancer, so by the time it came back in my liver I was in pretty good shape. Every doctor told me the liver surgery was going to much tougher than the colon surgery, but they were wrong. It is far better to be healthy before you get sick than it is to be sickly before you get sick.

Here's another thing. Take survival rates with a large grain of salt. I'm in the 30% five-year survival category, but I am close to beating this thing. Statistics are good for populations, but not good for individuals. For me, I will survive or not. I will not survive 30% and die 70%. What happens to you is the result of your own idiosyncratic circumstances.

hang tough Bud and best of luck.

I have no experience with chemo but wish you the best through the treatments.

When my mother went through chemo she always felt slightly weak for the next couple days but then seemed to bounce right back.

You will be in my thoughts and prayers. If you need someone to chat with I know surgerues and complications very well.

Bill

Bud, I have no personal experience at all to offer... I just want to wish you all the best.

Bud, you are in our prayers and I wish you the very best. Allow those tired or challenging days to lead to the joyous ones that are sure to follow. ' hope you will share your sucesses with us.
Bill J.

Bud-I just put your name in my prayer journal. I will be praying for you every friday. If there is ever a specific way I can pray feel free to PM me.
Tom

As there are many types of cancer there are also many types of chemo. I've had bladder cancer 3 times over the past 12 years.

I had 6 surgeries to remove tumors and 4 rounds of chemo therapy.

The first time I had chemo I did not exercise and the chemo gave me osto-arthritis and it really hurt to walk. I sat on the couch depressed and ate my way up to 280 lbs.

The second time I started riding and the soreness in my connective tissue went away and I felt much better. Over the past five years I've had chemo twice more and I get back on the bike the day after.

I've got my weight down to 220 and lowered my bp and I don't have any stress in my life and I just exist to ride a bike.

As I said before, Good Luck.

When I was in chemo in 1991 a nurse at the oncologist's office said whe would rather work there than a general practitioners office as the patients didnt complain as much.

When I came out of remission in 2005 (non_Hodgkins lymphoma) I went from averaging 15 mph for Tour de Phoenix in April (75 miles) to barely being able to average that for 20 miles in June and July. I kept riding since it gave me something to hold on to. When the doctor started treatment (rituxan) in early August, he said I would feel better almost immediately. That was right; I was riding with the club again (50+ miles on Sat morning, 15 mph ave) by early September.